Few locations are quite as magical as the Orkney Isles. Located at the point where the Atlantic meets the North Sea, it is an archipelago of 70 islands with a history dating back to 8000BC.

Scapa is one of Scotland’s smallest distilleries and dates back to 1885. It is one of the most northerly Scotch Whisky distilleries. Despite the slightly daunting remoteness of the location, founding Speyside duo Macfarlane and Townsend were intrigued by the potential to create small batch malt Scotch Whisky of great character and personality, harnessing Orkney’s endless summer evenings and the entrepreneurial and hard-working reputation of its people.

This beguiling whisky evokes the beauty of Orkney, with the softer side of the island reflected in the bright, sweet, silky smooth liquid, and the lightest whisper of the seas testifying to its unique provenance.

Scarabus may be an Islay single malt you are unfamiliar with, but do not be surprised. A whisky bold about its origins, but a little hard-to-pin down about pretty much everything else. And even more mysteriously, Hunter Laing have managed to get a 10-year-old variation of the mysterious single malt. Produced by an undisclosed distillery on Islay, this was bottled together after a decade of gently maturing in a combination of refill, virgin oak, and ex-bourbon casks.

The nose is smoky, with notes of buttery pastry, sea air, and floral notes. On the palate lies notes of vanilla pods, dried spice heat, and brown sugar. The finish is everything you would expect from an Islay distillery, full of peat and warming.